


Firsts and Seconds

by orphan_account



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Developing Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2018-12-31 13:10:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12133197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: His first confession is barely even a confession, and his first kiss he wishes had gone any other way… but it isn’t the end of the world (not even for them).





	Firsts and Seconds

**Author's Note:**

> I probably woulda written this in a day, but 1. my allergies were too bad and my eyes hurt, and 2. I got sidetracked by imagining sappy adorable post-fic domestic stuff, so it turned into four days. I have no idea what I’m doing, I just like this AU.
> 
> (For reference, Frederick and Sully are the same age with Stahl two years younger and Alena one year younger than him. Also, Robin is the manager of the hs boys' basketball team and xe's... a year older than Stahl, I think.)

**First Confession**

“I think my parents want us to date,” Sully tells him out of nowhere.

Stahl freezes with his water bottle halfway to his mouth. He gapes at her for a moment until he recovers and snorts out a laugh. “Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure mine are convinced we _are_ dating!”

Sully purses her lips and mock-appraises him, dragging her eyes up and down his form as she drums her fingers on the basketball sitting beside her on the bench. “I mean, maybe if you were a girl…”

“Or if you were a guy,” he shoots back, taking a drink.

“Nah, I rather like being a girl, thanks.”

He just shrugs as he closes the cap, then gazes longingly out at the court for a moment. “Best seven out of ten?” he tries, glancing at her pleadingly.

“Ha! You’ll beat me in your dreams!” she says, but she grabs the ball and stands anyway— _as if_ either of them would turn down a chance to play basketball.

* * *

**First Kiss**

The buzzer that rings across the court is all that Stahl can hear as he watches with bated breath as the ball seems to arc in slow motion toward the basket. It rolls along the ring, tips, and—

It’s in! For the first time in almost a decade, their school has won nationals!

He looks over to Frederick, who blinks once in stunned disbelief before the beginnings of a smile spread slow across his features. He feels his own grin widen in response, and before he even has the chance to think, Stahl’s curling a hand around the back of Frederick’s neck and pulling him closer and kissing him triumph—more just grinning against his lips than anything.

But he feels Frederick stiffen, his breath hitching, and suddenly his actions catch up to his brain; he freezes, all sense of elation draining out of him at once. He takes a step back, two, and flees, slipping out of the gymnasium before anyone can stop him.

He thinks he hears someone, maybe Frederick, or possibly Robin, call his name before the heavy door swings shut behind him, but he doesn’t look back.

The scene plays over in his head as he makes his way to their locker room, Frederick’s expression becoming more and more distasteful each time until Stahl can no longer remember what kind of expression Frederick actually made—or if he even saw it for how panicked he was. He slings his bag over his shoulder and curls his fingers tight around the strap, trying to push it out of his mind, concentrating only on getting out of there before his team can make their way back.

It was the seniors’ last game, but he still quits basketball the next day. School goes on as normal—either no one noticed the kiss or no one cares, for which he is grateful, but it’s still too much for him to go back. If anyone asks, he tells them that he wants to focus on class—his grades might not be the best, but it’s still a lie.

Only he and Sully know the truth.

* * *

**First Date**

He ends up letting himself get dragged into tagging along on a group date one weekend so that there’ll be an equal number of girls and guys. The guy his friends normally ask couldn’t make it, so they turned to him—and since he isn’t doing anything that day, hanging out with his friends and some girls he doesn’t know from another school doesn’t sound all that bad.

…It starts sounding a little worse as they near the restaurant that they’re meeting the girls outside of, but he thinks that’s just his nerves talking.

The girl he gets paired up with introduces herself as Alena. She’s sweet, and she doesn’t expect anything from him. He learns that she’s in line to be captain of her school’s soccer team next year and is already being scouted by pro teams. Soccer isn’t really his thing, and basketball isn’t really hers, but he feels better knowing that their shared experiences in the world of high school sports means they have something to talk about with each other as well as with the group. It isn’t as bad as part of him was expecting.

Later, as the group conversation turns toward things he isn’t particularly interested in, he feels himself start to tune them out, his eyes sliding absently away from them and scanning over the part of the restaurant that he can see from where he’s sitting. He freezes, gaze backtracking as he spots a brunet figure that, yes, is all too familiar. What with avoiding him for the rest of his sophomore year—which wasn’t all that difficult to do, what with them being in different years and not sharing any classes and no longer being in the same club—Stahl never learned which college Frederick ended up choosing, so he didn’t know if he was still in town, never expected to run into him.

He only has the chance to begin fervently hoping that Frederick won’t look over and see him when his attention is brought back to the group date and Alena sitting across from him when she twists around in her seat to peer around the back of the booth to find what he’s staring at.

“Let me guess: tall, dark, and handsome?” she asks when she turns back.

He flushes, and she just grins. He gains a new friend that day.

* * *

**First Love**

It’s later than he thought when he leaves the library; it’s already dark, and the cafeteria’s closed for the evening—and man, is he starving. He’ll have to find a fast food place.

But his fantasies of food are brought short for the moment as he comes to a sudden stop because— “Frederick?” And ah, man, he shoulda kept walking, he probably wouldn’t even have seen him— “You go here too?” Curse his stupid mouth.

Frederick startles a little, snapping his gaze down from the stars to Stahl, and uncrosses his arms and straightens from where he was leaning against the railing. He starts to take a step up the stairs toward him, but seems to decide against it. “Yes,” he says. They stare at each other a moment, Frederick’s expression betraying nothing and Stahl hoping his doesn’t either. Then: “Which dorm do you live in?”

He blinks, surprised; of all the questions he might have expected, this wasn’t one of them. “Hall 10.”

Frederick nods, half turning in the direction of the dorm. “I’ll walk with you.”

“All right,” he says slowly, almost a question. He makes his way down the stairs almost woodenly, and they set off together side by side. As they walk, he keeps sneaking nervous glances at Frederick out of the corner of his eyes; the man looks unbothered, but whether that’s just his usual stoic mien or not, Stahl doesn’t know.

“Were you waiting for me?” he asks after a moment.

“Yes.”

“Ah.”

Silence settles between them again, and Stahl fidgets aimlessly with a strap on his backpack.

“I went to all your games that I could get away for,” Frederick says; the _you weren’t there_ goes unspoken. “You didn’t have to quit, you know.”

Stahl snorts. “Yeah, well, I did.” He shrugs.

Frederick reaches out to awkwardly rest a hand on his shoulder, and Stahl stops in his tracks, surprised. The man turns to face him, lips pursed like he’s trying to figure out how to say something, and squeezes his shoulder reassuringly. “I don’t… dislike you, or anything like that,” he says. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to keep avoiding me.”

He feels heat begin to prick its way up the back of his neck as Frederick lets his hand fall back to his side. A smile twitches at the corner of his mouth as they continue walking, the words _I don’t dislike you_ playing over in his head. Much of his nervousness has melted away, and the silence between them now is a comfortable one.

They soon come to a stop in front of Hall 10, and Stahl is reluctant to part just yet. Biting his lip, he rocks back on his heels, then spins around to face him and, before he can think it over too much, asks in a rush: “I was going to get something to eat, did you—would you like to go with me?” Mentally he winces and immediately begins berating himself. _Idiot, of course he doesn’t, he’s already eaten dinner, only you would eat two—_

“Sure,” Frederick says, bringing him up short, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

He grins in return, tells him, “I’ll just drop my stuff off real quick!” and rushes inside to do that. When he gets back, Frederick’s still waiting for him.

* * *

**Second Kiss**

“That was fun! I haven’t played any one-on-one in a while,” Stahl says as they step out of the rec center into the cool autumn air.

“I could tell.”

“Hey now,” he says, mock-defensive, “I’m not the one who’s a starter on his college basketball team!”

Frederick chuckles, and Stahl can’t help but grin in response.

Mood considerably lightened both by the exercise and by the rare, beautiful sound of his friend’s laughter, Stahl’s got a bounce in his step as they make their way toward the library courtyard, where they’ll part ways—Frederick to join his study group, and Stahl to get some homework in before his next class in an hour.

“Stahl.”

“Hm?” He turns, breath catching as Frederick reaches out to slide a hand into his hair. He feels his face flush crimson.

“You’ve got a. Leaf,” Frederick says, like he’s trying not to forget the words. He gestures with the leaf between two fingers inside Stahl’s periphery, but Stahl barely sees it, and neither of their eyes leave the other’s, Frederick’s own cheeks dusted with pink now too.

“Oh,” he breathes, and can’t help but feel a little disappointed.

Frederick lets the leaf fall from his hand, and then all at once he’s curling a finger under Stahl’s chin and ducking in to kiss him. When they part, Frederick searches his eyes, uncertain.

Stahl takes a moment to remember how to breathe again, then: “Oh,” he repeats, and reaches out to pull Frederick back in and recaptures his lips, fingers sliding up over the collar of his turtleneck to bury into the hair at his nape still damp from the showers.

* * *

**Second Date**

**Today** 13:37

To: Alena  
What the fuck wha tthe fuckw waht the fukck

From: Alena  
woah woah slow down, whats wrong?

To: Alena  
Nothigs wrong except i think i'm deraming

To: Alena  
Frederick kissed me!!!n and now hems taking me out someplace fir dinner!!!

From: Alena  
omg ur basketball star likes u back!!! congrats

From: Alena  
im so happy for u ♡♡♡♡♡♡

To: Alena  
I accidentally dropped my phone on my face so i'm pretty sure i’m not dreaming

From: Alena  
lmaooo dork

From: Alena  
ive got class now so i gotta go but tell me everything later!!! n good luck!!!

From: Alena  
:*

To: Alena  
I will

Stahl drops his phone—onto the bed _beside_ his face this time, not square on his forehead—and stares up at the ceiling of his dorm room, still trying to process earlier events. When he closes his eyes, he can still feel Frederick’s lips against his. His eyes snap open when he realizes something, and he scrambles to retrieve his phone to shoot a text to Sully.

 **Today** 13:48

To: Sully  
Fuck i don’t know what to wear

The little dancing triple ellipsis appears almost immediately, and he hurries to elaborate before she finishes typing.

From: Sully  
???

To: Sully  
Frederick likes mw

To: Sully  
Hr asked me oit today

From: Sully  
What… you normally wear? Idk

From: Sully  
Later?

From: Sully  
Where is he taking you

From: Sully  
Also thats awesome

To: Sully  
I don’t know he didn’t say he just said dinner

From: Sully  
What are you wearing rn

He opens the camera as he stretches his arms out as far as they’ll go and snaps an awkward selfie of him wearing his Panic! At The Disco t-shirt and green hoodie to send to her.

From: Sully  
Flattering

To: Sully  
Is that sarcasm

From: Sully  
Idk that should be fine. If he didnt say anything its probs nothing too fancy right???

From: Sully  
Yes

From: Sully  
But srsly you look fine

Distractedly he switches the screen off and lays his phone down next to him. He still feels somewhat dazed, but it’s starting to feel more real now, and if Sully says he’ll be fine, he believes her—they’ve been best friends since elementary school, and he’d trust her with his life.

His phone buzzes beneath his hand, and he picks it up curiously to view the notification.

MESSAGES          now  
**Sully**  
Yanno, I wouldn’t normally say anything since I kno how your hair is but… if you do something with it he might want to mess it up again later~

As the screen times out, he feels his face start to redden, and, distressed, he unlocks his phone to quickly type out a reply.

To: Sully  
Wh ywoudl you s ay that no!!!!0

From: Sully  
;P

He’s not going to do anything with his hair beyond his usual attempts to tame it; he doesn’t think he’s ready for that quite yet.

* * *

 **Today** 21:02

To: Alena  
I think i'm in love

* * *

**Second Confession**

He looks up from his math homework which he can barely concentrate on right now anyway to glance over at his boyfriend sitting at the other end of the bed reading a chapter for his literature class. He sets his pencil down on top of his notebook, steeling himself.

“I’m thinking of quitting and going to culinary school.”

Frederick blinks up at him, shifting a finger to hold the page down.

“I don’t know if I should take sophomore year or go after this semester though,” he continues. “’Cause if I go after sophomore year, that’s three more semesters of school, but I’ll have my Associate’s Degree if it doesn’t work out. But if I go next semester, that’s… well, it’s less school.”

“It’ll work out,” Frederick tells him, voice full of conviction. Stahl isn’t so sure, and he thinks it might show on his face, for his boyfriend continues: “I’ve had your cooking, you’re good, you’re not going to fail. And so maybe you won’t become one of those big-name master chefs who gets their own show, and you might not win any of the big prizes, but, well… there is one.”

Stahl blinks, brows furrowing as he tries to think which one his boyfriend could be talking about. “What is it?”

“My heart.”

He chokes out a laugh, surging forward to wrap his arms around him and bury his face in the crook of his neck. “I’d tell you how cheesy that is, but it makes me too happy.”

Frederick snorts, freeing an arm from where it’s trapped between their bodies to run a hand through Stahl’s hair. “Is this why you’ve been acting weird?” When Stahl doesn’t answer, he says, “I’m not the type of person who would abandon you just because I don’t get to see you every day, you know.”

Stahl smiles into his boyfriend’s chest; he doesn’t know exactly why he was worried, but maybe that was part of it, that all this is so new.

“You know,” Frederick starts after a bit, “if you wait for your Associate’s, that’s when I’m graduating. We could look for an apartment together near your campus.”

Stahl sits up to look at him. “You want to live with me?” he asks.

His boyfriend just smiles. “Of course, if you start next semester, we’ll still see each other. We’ve got phones, and we can probably visit each other some weekends. And we can still search for an apartment after I graduate, if you want. But it’s up to you; I want you to be happy.”

A giddy smile spreading his lips, he watches his hands as he absently fiddles with the ties of Frederick’s hooded sweatshirt. He hardly knows what to do with all this happiness. “I’ll have to think about it,” he says, glancing up to meet Frederick’s eyes.

“Of course,” he agrees warmly.

* * *

**First Love (Reprise)**

Stahl returns to the living room with a bag of chips along with the glass of water that he originally got up to refill to find Frederick dozing on the couch. He stops just inside the doorway and just stares, taking in the sight before him, suddenly so overcome with love for this man that he doesn’t know what to do with it all, so he just smiles helplessly, his heart feeling about to burst. Part of him is glad that Frederick is asleep, for his lover is just as sappy and romantic as he is, and then they’d be sappy and romantic _together_ , and then he’d _really_ not know what to do with himself.

He recovers enough after a few moments to return to his seat, setting the glass quietly down on the coaster as he resumes his seat as gently as he can so as not to disturb his lover.

Frederick stirs, sucking in a breath as he blinks his eyes open. He looks sleepily to Stahl for a moment before reaching for the remote to unpause the movie. “Oh, sorry,” he murmurs.

“We can finish it tomorrow if you want.”

He shakes his head, leaning into Stahl’s side, his head resting on his shoulder.

They share the chips as they finish the movie, though Frederick falls asleep partway through, and like this, with his lover pressed warm against his side and drooling slightly on his shirt, Stahl has never been more certain that this is the man with whom he wants to spend the rest of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> I know less about Sully than I do about Freddy and Stahl. Maybe that's why Alena became more of an important character than I'd originally planned... Well, hopefully my character-reading skills haven't failed me and she's still believably Sully (honestly, I can't believe I don't use her more in FEH considering how much I love her...)


End file.
